Sunday, October 14, 2001
Williams finds home with Nets
By Michael Perry
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Nets forward Aaron Williams, former XU star, goes up against Cavs center Michael Doleac Saturday at Cintas Center.
(AP photo)
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There are only four New Jersey Nets playing for the team this season who were on the team's active roster last year: former University of Cincinnati star Kenyon Martin, Keith Van Horn, Lucious Harris and Xavier graduate Aaron Williams.
New Jersey, which defeated Cleveland 98-86 in an NBA exhibition game Saturday night before 3,124 fans at Cintas Center, wanted to get more athletic and deeper this season. It's no accident Williams is still around.
“If you have 12 guys on your team, you would love to have eight or nine of them be like Aaron Williams — guys that will practice every day and bust their butt and ... never give the coach any trouble,” Nets coach Byron Scott said. “We couldn't be happier with the way he played for us last year. He's a warrior. He plays hurt. He never complains about playing time ... he just wants to win.”
Williams, a 6-foot-9 forward, is coming off his most productive NBA season. He averaged a career-high 10.2 points and a career-high 7.2 rebounds and played in all 82 games. He had four points on 2-of-4 shooting and two rebounds Saturday night.
New Jersey is the seventh NBA team on which Williams has played (Utah, Milwaukee, Denver, Vancouver, Seattle and Washington are the others).
Scott said Williams has been exactly what he had in mind when he talked to him about joining the Nets. Williams can score and defend in the low post and block shots (he had a career-high 113 last season).
“His mental toughness and physical toughness is something that we needed,” Scott said. “He's one of those guys that's real quiet and doesn't say a lot, but when he's on the court, he has everybody's respect.”
Williams said he has five years left on his contract, and he hopes to stay with New Jersey.
“I always knew I could play,” Williams said. “It was just a matter of finding a team that believed in you and would give you the minutes. I believe they're committed to me. I'm commited to them. You just feel more a part of the foundation, even though any day you can be traded. I like everybody here. I'm having a good time.”
WOW: Williams had seen Cintas Center near its completion but got his first real look at the place Saturday night.
“It's pretty amazing,” he said. “When I heard they were getting an on-campus facility, I knew it would be nice, but I didn't think it would be this nice. I'm real impressed.”
BIG CHANGE: Scott said the difference in Martin this preseason is substantial from a year ago. In 2000, Martin was coming off a broken leg that ended his college career, and he was out of shape. Not this fall.
“He just has a new attitude,” Scott said. “He feels good about himself. He really runs the floor and he knows with Jason Kidd, you're going to get the ball.
“I look at him now and say. "That's the Kenyon Martin I saw in college before he broke his leg.'”
Martin was 3-of-8 from the field and totaled nine points and three rebounds against the Cavaliers.
LATE START: Saturday night's game started at 8:30 p.m., 30 minutes later than scheduled. When the Cavaliers arrived at the airport at 4:30 p.m. for their flight to Cincinnati on the owner's airplane, the fuel gauge wasn't working. By the time it was functioning, the team couldn't leave until 6:20 p.m. It landed in Cincinnati around 7 p.m.
Martin runs freely in Nets' victory
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